The Department provides a genetic service, clinics and
outreach services, to the SWSAHS and also has a mandate
to provide genetic services, to Southern Area Health Service, NSW. An Associative Genetic Counsellor is employed by SAHS
and is based in Goulburn District Hospital.
The Department of Clinical Genetics aims to provide a comprehensive, efficient medical genetics service with equality of
access, cultural and religious sensitivity and non-judgmental acceptance of client's
freedom of choice in the context of full information. Genetics services aim to reduce the
impact of genetic disorders and birth defects on affected individuals, those at risk and
their families. There is a strong emphasis on support to help people make informed choices
by answering their questions about hereditary and genetic disorders, providing update
information, providing insight and understanding to the clinical spectrum of genetic
disorders, counselling about available options, including prenatal diagnostic testing, and
helping couples and individuals reach decisions appropriate to their own religious and
life values.
The Department of Clinical Genetics has a strong commitment to teaching and research. This involves giving lectures to
professionals in the health service and to expanding the general community's understanding
of the role of medial genetics in relation both to improving health and future societal
directions. The Department of Clinical Genetics is actively involved in collaborative
research with genetic testing laboratories, with colleagues in the Feto-Maternal Unit and
is committed to research into the best delivery of genetic services in this multicultural
Area Health Service.
Each family referred is contacted by a genetic counsellor for a pre-clinic interview
to establish the background information and draw the pedigree. This facilitates the
effectiveness of the clinic appointment with the clinical geneticist. Reproductive
Genetics Clinics are held 4 days each week at Liverpool, Dysmorphology and General
Genetics Clinics two days per week, and the Family Cancer Clinic each Tuesday. In 1997,
clinics were started at Bankstown and Fairfield, both a half day each fortnight. The
frequency of Bowral clinics depends upon the number of referrals
The Department provides genetic services to support a genetic counsellor located in
Southern Area Health Service. A one-day clinic is conducted by a clinical geneticist and
genetic counsellor in Goulburn each month, and further supervision and ongoing support to
the genetic counsellor is provided by phone and e-mail. Clinics in other towns, including
the south coast region, were infrequent until 1999, but are now held at least monthly in
various locations. Each clinic is organised and prepared by the outreach genetic
counsellor. In 1997 and 1998 services to SAHS comprised 3% of the Department's client load
and in 1999 this rose to 4.5%. This is expected to continue to increase in 2000. The
outreach genetic counsellor, advertises and promotes the service to health professionals
in SAHS and is a resource person for genetic enquires from professional and lay clients.
